Sergio Olivia: This is an area of great interest for people. I don't care who wants to take steroids, because that's a personal choice... that's his life. Now, today, everybody has access to them. I even saw in one of the big magazines that Arnold denies having used them, but Arnold was one of the first to bring steroids over to America. And everybody in the old days used them: Zane, Columbu, myself, Arnold, Larry Scott, Harold Poole, Dave Draper, and even Steve Reeves. There's no way to deny it. It wasn't much, nothing like today. But the development of drugs is much different. I used decca and dianabol, and that was something really big at the time; and decca was not considered that bad. It was even prescribed by doctors to help make your bones strong. Today you have guys weighing 200 pounds, and six months later they weigh 250-300 pounds! So you know these guys are taking something unbelievable. When they say they haven't taken any thing, you know that it's phony.

Post yours. I will take my pictures soon so the most impressive shot is gonna be seen in a couple of days.

Hey man, the black on the top doesn't even count...we can barely even see him! AND he's black...blacks have different genes than us whities... we'll have to have two categories one for natural whites...another for natural blacks,just so it's fair.

Steve Reeves had a classic physique body that is still admired to this day. To many it is still the greatest physique of all time. What's even more impressive is that Steve won the Mr. America, Mr. World, and Mr. Universe titles without ever using steroids.

Note that his calf, biceps and neck are the same measurement. Hedid this deliberately based on the concept of Grecian ideal proportions.

He also worked to get his shoulders as wide as possible and his waist as small as possible in order to exaggerate his upper body width. He didn't do shrugs or side bends as he thought large traps took away from the visual illusion of shoulder width and large obliques thickened the waist, spoiling his v-taper.

Steve Reeves Training Methods

I found one of Steve Reeves training routine in an old booklet and was happy to see he trained briefly, infrequently and intensely to make the fastest progress. He trained full body workouts three times a week, doing about 3 sets for each exercise. He choose mostly basic exercises that worked the part of the muscle he wanted to bring out.

Steve Reeves once wrote that 12 reps is the ideal number, but never at the expense of good form!

Of course he had great genetics, but he also trained the right for a natural bodybuilder.

Steve Reevs was natural. He led a very healthy life. you can tell when he was older. SOme the older guys just lived healthy that is why they look so good when they are older. I don't Bill Pearl tokk roids either. He and Steve reeves were incredible and had the perfct body most people would want in real life. Bill is absolutely one of the finest guys I have ever met. He is so nice and friendly and we talk allot when we see each other.

Insecure juicers don't want to admit that there are naturals out there bigger than them.

back then it wasn't some moral issue that it seems to be today...Of course they used them...They way you "all natty" fools run the nearest GNC looking for the next big supplement...Your fooling yourself about steroids and you buy right into the propaganda the governments are throwing at you

thanks for the link rufjunk. any of those guys natty, please. and this is comin from a natty. the stuff was legal back then it wasn't a big deal. not like they took like the guys today. all those pics posted on 1 are far superior than 95% of the pros today so juice not withstanding.

He was about as natural as a potato with a dick. He used to come to Bill Pearls gym in Pasadena in the mid to late 70's with a boat load of crap from Europe trying to get rid of it. I was there. Bill didn't know a thing but I do know if he found out Nubret would have been a bloody stump!!

Yeah, you were there and I suppose you're going to tell us that Santa is real too. Bro, how did you get so delusional.

Sergio Olivia: This is an area of great interest for people. I don't care who wants to take steroids, because that's a personal choice... that's his life. Now, today, everybody has access to them. I even saw in one of the big magazines that Arnold denies having used them, but Arnold was one of the first to bring steroids over to America. And everybody in the old days used them: Zane, Columbu, myself, Arnold, Larry Scott, Harold Poole, Dave Draper, and even Steve Reeves. There's no way to deny it. It wasn't much, nothing like today. But the development of drugs is much different. I used decca and dianabol, and that was something really big at the time; and decca was not considered that bad. It was even prescribed by doctors to help make your bones strong. Today you have guys weighing 200 pounds, and six months later they weigh 250-300 pounds! So you know these guys are taking something unbelievable. When they say they haven't taken any thing, you know that it's phony.

Great points here. Sad but quite true but sensible use of drugs like decca gave a lot of bang for your buck in terms of gains vs health risks which to my knowledge are pretty minimal on that kind of stuff.

Steve reeves is natural period. if you don't think that he is you must have some shitty ass genetics..... 6'1 215 is easily attainable for someone with the genetics he poss ed. hell he could have went further if he wanted to.